Draft-rigging.



Nu. 636,04l. Patented Oct. 3|, I899.

L. A. HUERR.

DRAFT HIGGINS.

(Application filed July 22, 1899.)

(No Modei.)

31 9mm Wy 3518 Lou1s A. Hoerr m: uonms rnzns 00.. Pnm'auma, WASHINGTON. u. c.

PATENT LOUIS A. HOERR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

,DRAFT-RIGGING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,041, dated October 31, 1899.

Application filed July 22, 1899. Serial No. 724,751. (No model.)

To aZZ whom u may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. HOERR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates chiefly to tandem draft-rigging for freight-cars; and its chief objects are, first, to provide an improved combination lug and follower casting; second, to enable the tail-bolt of the draw-bar to be made shorter than hasheretofore been found practicable where tandem riggings have been used, and, third, to provide an improved washer for transmitting pressure from the tail-bolt to the rear draft-spring. I attain these objects by mechanism whose preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1-is a plan view of that part of the draft-rigging to which my improvements relate. Fig.2 is in part a vertical longitudinal section on line 2 2, Fig. 1, and in part a section of the car-decking and end sill omitted from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of my combined lug and follower casting. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said casting. Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of said casting. Fig. 6 is a rear end elevation of said casting, and Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on line 7 7, Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The decking 1, end sill 2, dead-wood 3, draw-bar 4 and coupler-bearing 5 are of common form.

The draft-timbers 6 are arranged with the usual space between them. Between said timbers 6 a casting 7 is arranged. This casting is preferably rectangular and has a front follower-plate or spring-bearing 8 and a rear follower-plate or spring-bearing 9. Both of said plates are preferably, but not necessarily, strengthened on the rear side thereof by means of suitable Webs and preferably by the vertical webs 10, horizontal webs 11, and diagonal webs 12. (Shown in Figs. 5 and 6.)

In front of the follower-plate 9 a springpocket 13 is formed in the casting for the reception of the rear draft-springs 14. The bottom of this pocket is closed by a bottom .the follower-plate 8.

portion 15. The top is preferably open, except at the front and rear ends thereof. At

the latter a forwardly-projectin g flange 16 prevents the upward escape of the rear end of the springs 14, and at the forward enda slidiug plate 17, whose ends rest in ways 18, formed in the top of the casting, extends across above said pocket. From the front end of the plate 17 a washer 19 projects downward and rests against the front ends of the springs 14. A recess 20 is preferably formed in the face of said plate for the reception of the rear end of the tail-bolt 21 of the draw-bar 4. This permits a key 22 passing through said tail-bolt to rest against the face of said washer 19. The use of the pocket and washer above described enables a much shorter tail-bolt to be used than would otherwise be available. The top of the casting is preferably open, as shown, as far forward as the rearwardly-projecting flange 23. I

The bottom contains an opening 24 in front of the bottom portion 15, so as to afford access to the pocket 13 from beneath the castmg.

The casting is preferably held in position by means of vertical ribs 25, one near each end, and intermediate ribs 26 on each side, which fit into recesses or notches 27 in the draft-timbers 6, and also by through-bolts 28.

The front springs 29 lie between the rear end of "the draw-bar 4 and the face of the follower-plate 8 and surround the tail-bolt 21, which latter passes through an opening 30 in In order to assist the tail-bolt to hold the springs 29 in position against the face of the plate, I preferably provide the latter with top and bottom forwardlyprojecting flanges 31 and side flanges 32, adapted to form a pocket for the reception of the rear ends of said springs, but this though useful is not essential. By this construction where a pair of springs are used their power of resistance is seldom exactly equal, and hence where their seats are disconnected the means securing them to the draft-timbers are liable to be called upon to resist excessive strains at' times. In my improved casting this difficulty is entirely overcome by casting the two seats in one piece. This causes any pressure upon either spring-seat to be trans mitted to the draft-timbers through all the ribs and other fastenings of the casting.

I claim 1.. The combination in a casting for use in draft-rigging of two forwardly-facing s pringseats, one in front of the other, a space for the reception of a r ar draft-spring between said seats, and an aperture for a tail-bolt, through the front of said casting.

2. The combination in acasting for use in draft-rigging of two forwardly-facing springseats, one in front of the other, a space for the reception of a draft-spring between said seats; an aperture through the front of said casting for the passage of a tail-bolt and vertical locking-ribs carried by said casting for securing the same in position.

The combination in a casting for use in draft-rigging of two forwardly-facing springseats, one in front of the other; a pocket between them for a draft-spring, an opening lhrough the front end for the passage of a tail-bolt; vertical locking-ribs near each end, and one near the middle, on each side and transverse apertures for the passage of througlnbolts, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of a casting for use in draft-rigging having two forwardly-facing spring-seats, one in front of the other; a spring-pocket between said seats, having means for upholding a spring, a spring in said pocket, a washer in front of said spring, an aperture through the front end for the passage of a tail-bolt, and a tail-bolt passing through said aperture for transmitting pressure to said spring, through said washer.

5. The combination in a casting for use in draft-rigging of two spring-seats arranged, one in front of the other; webs for strengthening said seats; a spring-pocket in front of the rear seat; means closing the bottom of said pocket; a flange projecting forward over the rear end of said pocket for preventing the upward escape of a spring resting therein; an opening through the bottom of said casting, in front of said pocket, for affording access to said spring-pocket, and an aperture through the front of said casting for the passage of a draw-bar tail-bolt.

0. The combination in a draft-rigging of a draw-bar having a tail-bolt; a casting having a pair of forwardly-facing spring-seats, one in front of the other a spring-pocket in front of the rear seat having means for upholding a spring; a spring in said pocket; means for preventing the upward escape of the rear end of said spring from its seat; a reciprocating plate arranged above the front end of said spring, a washer depending from said plate; a tail-bolt passing through said front aperture in said casting for transmitting pressure through said washer to said spring; and a spring surrounding said tail-bolt arranged between said draw-bar and the said front springseat substantially as described.

7. The combination of a draw-bar having a tail-bolt; a pair of draft-timbers; a casting having a pair of forwardly facing springseats, one in front of the other, a pocket for a spring in front of the. rear spring-seat, an aperture through the front end of the casting for the passage of said tail-bolts, and exterior locking-ribs on each side entering recesses in said draft-timbers; through-bolts for fastening said casting to said timbers; a spring in said spring-pocket, a spring between the drawbar and said front spring-seat; and means for transmitting pressure from said tail-bolt to the spring in said pocket, substantially as described.

LOUIS A. IIOERR.

XVitnesses:

W. A. ALEXANDER, DAVID STANNARD. 

